Setting up the New Brooder May 1, 2019 @goldenoakfarm
This year we are using a new brooding system. These are rigid heat pads or plates. They have legs to hold them at the height of the chicks’ backs. There is very little fire risk with this system.
Our old brooder, built from plans designed in 1942, had to fixed heat lamp bulbs. We were always really careful to make sure they were clean and could not touch anything. We used this for 11 years.
But one day my husband went out and found the thermometer support had been pushed against one and was smoldering. Not good! So as soon as we were able, we bought the new design.
We start the chicks on plain newsprint with feed spread all over it. There is also feed in the feeders. They quickly find the food on the floor and within a day or 2 have found the feeders. At that point we put bedding down.
We put the trays holding water on the boards so they are level. The other 3 trays will hold the food. We will put the food and water in just before we pick the 90 chicks up at the Post Office on Friday morning around 7AM.
This is the brooder enclosure. It will keep the rats out.
Behind the left side door, we have set-up a space heater to bring the cold room to about 78 – 80F. The heat plates will take care of the rest of the heating for the chicks. They need it around 95F for the first 5 days. Then it reduces 5 degrees every 5 days until it is room temperature and they are fully feathered out. That will be about 5 weeks and the first week of June. Here, hopefully, it will be warm enough for them to go out to the pasture.
Next up is fox proofing the pasture pen…
Other posts on raising chicks:
https://steemit.com/homesteading/@goldenoakfarm/chickens-day-raising-day-old-chicks
https://steemit.com/homesteading/@goldenoakfarm/building-our-brooder-and-enclosure
https://steemit.com/homesteading/@goldenoakfarm/ordering-chicks
https://steemit.com/homesteading/@goldenoakfarm/setting-up-the-brooder
https://steemit.com/homesteading/@goldenoakfarm/the-chicks-are-here
Can't imagine living in a climate where you need artificial heating for the chickens. LOL. Don't the mama chickens keep them warm enough??
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There are no mama chickens. These 90 chicks come through the mail from a hatchery. Their "mama" is going to be the brooder heat plates.
That's really sad. Everyone has chickens in Thailand... mostly free range... dont even think it would be possible to buy mass chickens this way here. Changes the quality of their meat & eggs.
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While ours start in a brooder, they are fed the best organic feed, freshly made. They are also given herbs, flowers, and forbs picked daily. At 5 weeks they go out on the pasture where they spend the rest of their lives.
We have far too many predators here to let them free range. Even with the Fort Knoxs we've built, we've been losing them to the new fox family that moved in last year. It's become a battle of the wits with them. And if it's not the fox, it's the hawks.
But our eggs are extremely popular in this area due to their deep color and high nutrition. And our meat tastes nothing like what's found in the stores. So I have no issues with the quality of what we raise.
I'm sure you give them the best you can and that it's waaaaay better than mass produced battery farming, but it still seems strange to me and a bit sad for the little chickens. We actually have some serious predators here in Asia too (nothing like a 12 foot hungry python who likes chicken!) but the mindset is different - people are OK with feeding the eagles and hawks and wild cats and they always have more than they can use or sell. One day you should come on a chicken expedition and I'll show you how incredibly different it is... but def no chicks coming in boxes or needing heating gadgets for survival. Cos that what hens are designed for.
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